Book 1: The Frozen River
by Shattered Wolf Moon
Summary: Icepaw was named apprentice on the passing of a comet. With a knowledge surpassing Dawnstar's, the kit will train side by side with other apprentices, on his journey to become a warrior, and find his destiny...
1. Chapter 1

**-Capture the Sunlight-**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.**

**Capture the Sunlight **shall take you to ThunderClan camp, where a small silvery-white kit, Icekit, begins his life in ThunderClan.

-

-

**-Chapter 1-**

_The moon of winter's ice and wind glinted slowly. Its crescent shape sent a thin slice of light that shown down in a clearing in White Hart woods._

_A small, white kit was sitting, staring up at the waning moon._

_It blinked. The icy blue eyes glimmered silver in the thin moonlight._

"_StarClan…" He murmured. "What is my destiny?"_

_The young tom's ears perked as an older she-cat padded across the clearing._

"_You should be asleep," She whispered, bumping him towards the nursery with her muzzle gently._

_He didn't resist, but glanced back at the sky._

"_A comet is coming." He mewed softly._

"_Hm?" The she-cat asked, confused. The kit had already slipped into the nursery._

_Shaking her head, the cat padded back over to Highrock, where another, older tom was perched. She bounded up and settled next to him._

"_Icekit shows promise." He purred. "There is much insight in him. Philosophy as well…"_

_He blinked thoughtfully at the she-cat._

"_Thorntail, has StarClan spoken to you?"_

_Thorntail nodded._

"_It is true what Icekit said. There will be a comet." She gazed intently at her leader._

"_Dawnstar, Icekit must be made an apprentice. He will be six moons old in two nights time. On the comet's passing, we must name him."_

_The tom, Dawnstar, nodded slowly. "Of course."_

_With a flick of his tail, the two jumped as one from the boulder. Bidding each other good night, the wind whistled through trees…_

"**Icepaw…Icepaw…Icepaw…Icepaw…"**


	2. Chapter 2

**-Chapter 2-**

Sunlight flashed down through various cracks and holes in the nursery wall. One kit in particular, a pretty young dark brown she-cat yawned, before sleepily getting to her paws and stretching with another yawn.

In the dim light, two eyes opened halfway.

"Morning already?" A gray and white tom muttered groggily.

The she-cat nodded, with a soft, "Yeah."

She padded over to the kits next to the gray tom and gave them a quick shove with her muzzle.

"Wake up, sleeping beauties."

One of them stirred, unhappy at being awakened.

"Up and at 'em, Dewkit."

The blueish gray tom stretched as well, before eyeing his friends huffily.

"Chocokit, you know I'm not a morning type of cat." He grumbled, washing his shoulder with his small pink tongue.

"I doubt Icekit is, either."

"I beg to differ." Another voice piped up.

The silver tom bounded past his denmates, not the slightest bit groggy.

"Big words. Little cat." Chocopaw giggled at Dewkit's blunt remark.

-

The Clan was rousing itself up it a slow but sure motion. ThunderClan's deputy, Sunbeam, was talking with some senior warriors. The three warriors nodded and padded over to the gorse tunnel at the camp's entrance.

"The sunhigh patrol's leaving." The gray tom kit, Fangkit, mewed. The group of young kits moved their way over to the freshkill pile. Fangkit and Chocokit took a large vole to share, Dewkit gently picked up a woodmouse, and Icekit dragged out a large pigeon.

"Glutton."

Icekit's eyes flashed reproachfully at his friends. He continued dragging the bird across the camp's clearing until he'd reached the elders' den.

"Smoketail," He called in. "Smoketail, I have some fresh-kill for you."

The three kits watched as a grayish silver elder limped out of the elders' den and sat down next to Icekit a little ways off. The two shared tongues before digging in.

"That kit's always chatting with the elders." Chocokit meowed. "Either that or just sitting and watching and listening." She bent down to take a bite of vole.

"Observing, he says."

The trio continued slowly eating their food.

"I can't wait until we're apprentices. Then we can earn our share of food." Fangkit said. "That'd be great!" He ruffled his fur.

Chocokit made a face.

"You're always talking about 'when we're apprentices,' Fangkit. We're not going to be made apprentices until at least another halfmoon."

She glanced in Smoketail's and Icekit's direction.

"Icekit's the only one old enough to be named an apprentice."

There wasn't any jealousy in her voice.

"I wonder when he'll be made an apprentice?" She mused aloud. Dewkit and Fangkit shrugged before perking their ears.

"Dawnstar's heading to the Highrock." Dewkit said excitedly. "Do you think that he's gonna...?"

The mottled tom was indeed leaping up onto the great rock. He raised his head, but did not yowled the Clan summoning.

"ThunderClan! Look at the sky above your heads!"

The felines all stopped and obeyed their leader. Murmurs of surprise rose as a great, shadowy object jetted across the sky, staining the usually blue sky with hues of golden red and scarlet violet.

"A shooting star during the day?" Dewkit asked.

"That's a comet, stupid."

-

A young black she-cat was sleeping in the warriors' den when a shout woke her up.

"Shootingthunder, wake up! There's a comet you can't miss!"

The black cat peeked and eye open. The excited, golden blonde face of Amberheart was urging her awake.

She sighed.

"Fine, fine..."

When the two emerged, Shootingthunder's blue eys widened at the magnificent colors the comet splashed across the sky.

"Wow." She purred.

-


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.**

**-Chapter 3-**

"_From now until he has earned his warrior name, this kit shall be known as Icepaw."_

_Meows rose up like an ocean wave crashing against the seashore._

"_Petalpelt!" The mottled tabby called. "You shall be mentor to Icepaw."_

_A young whitish red she-cat weaved through the sea of cats and lightly touched noses with her new protégé._

"_Hello." She meowed softly._

**-**

Icepaw watched intently as his teacher pounced on a mouse and killed it in one fell swoop.

"Okay, you try." She mewed. "Try stalking a mouse or vole. Be quick."

She watched as he slunk across the ground, sniffing intently for the scent of fresh-kill.

He soon padded behind some bushes.

Petalpelt waited patiently, until a squawk and flurry of leave drew her attention.

The silver tom came out triumphantly with a large pigeon clamped between his jaws.

"Very good." Petalpelt praised. She cast a glance at the sky.

"We'd best be going."

She blinked at the tom.

"Would you like me to carry that?" She offered kindly. "I'll be sure to tell that you caught it."

Icepaw shook his head politely.

The she-cat shrugged. "Okay."

-

"C'mon Chocokit. I have my eyes on that vole over there and Dewkit's gonna get it if we don't hurry." Fangkit said impatiently.

The brown kit shook her head, refusing to budge from the gorse tunnel.

"I'd rather wait until Icekit- um, Icepaw got here. We've always eaten together."

Fangkit's tail lashed out. He watched mournfully as, instead of Dewkit, a warrior, Slashclaw, lightly picked up the vole he wanted and took it over to she-cat warrior.

"There's goes our vole." He muttered. "Chocokit, Icepaw's going to come back and eat whatever he caught and you and I are going to starve." He squinted angrily at Slashclaw.

"He'd better keep his paws off my sister." He growled.

With a quick shove, Chocokit mewed happily, "There they are!" and dashed into the tunnel. A few moments later, the kit emerged with the warrior and apprentice.

Fangkit's eyes bugged. "Woah, that's a big pigeon."

-

In another part of the forest, a five cats crawled through bushes and trees and unruly undergrowth.

"Batteredstar, we must stop." A muddy blonde she-cat yowled. "Sunpaw cannot manage much further."

The large black and brown tom ignored her and snapped at the kit.

"Be quiet you mouse brained dirt pile!" He snarled.

The young kit shrank against the she-cat and whimpered.

The fourth cat, a young tom, narrowed his eyes at the other tom, but kept his mouth shut.

"Batteredstar, this isn't a good idea." The she-cat said stonily. "ThunderClan will find out."

Batteredstar shoved against her roughly.

"Be quiet!" He hissed. He whipped his furry head towards the younger tom.

"Brooke, take Sunpaw and throw him in some fox dirt. You roll in it as well. Hide your scent." He commanded.

Brooke's eyes flashed. He picked up the kit by the scruff of her neck. He nodded down at the fifth cat, another kit.

The trio padded away. Batteredstar turned and the she-cat followed.

"A kit in WindClan, a kit in RiverClan, and a warrior in ThunderClan." He purred. "Yes, this is boding quite nicely, don't you agree, Whipclaw?"

She didn't answer.

…

Brooke watched each kit off. His face remained impassive as he navigated expertly through until he reached his destination about an hour later.

He sat in front of the gorse tunnel.

"Batteredstar, you're a fool." He muttered. "This won't work."

He glanced up at the star dotted sky.

"StarClan forbid you." He whispered, ears perking as a vicious yowl sounded behind him. Twisting slightly, calmly, he blinked as a ginger tom stalked up behind him.

"You're coming with me."

Brooke stood up, paws light and gestured with his tail.

"Gladly."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.**

**-Chapter 4-**

Flamefur was slightly surprised at how calm the newcomer was, but he ignored it and glared at the other tom until he padded into the gorse tunnel.

The ginger followed, calling ahead, "Amberheart!"

As soon as Flamefur emerged and sidled up next to the other cat, Amberheart raced over. He looked surprised to find his fellow warrior with a stranger, and his nose wrinkled in distaste.

"Stay here with him while I get Dawnstar." Flamefur ordered. He marched off to the Highrock, where the leader's den resided.

Amberheart glanced over at their captive, meowing softly, "Follow me."

The calico obediently trailed after the ThunderClan warrior.

-

"Dawnstar,"

The tabby turned at the call of his name. "Flamefur, back from patrol already?" The leader asked. He blinked as Flamefur bristled his fur.

"Sir, I found an intruder, near the tunnel's entrance."

Dawnstar narrowed his eyes. "Take me to him."

-

"Dewkit, let go of my tail!" Fangkit snapped, yanking his tail away from his friend's paws. "Find a stick or something to scratch if your claws need to be dulled."

Dewkit flashed his own tail apologetically. "Sorry. I'm just nervous."

"About what?"

The kit flicked his head to where Dawnstar was talking sternly with Amberheart, Flamefur, and another cat nearly hidden from view. "I hope neither of them's in trouble. Amberheart's my brother, and I'd hate to see him punished."

"Punished for what?!"

"Full of hot air, aren't we?" Chocokit's grumbly meow burbled. "Can't we get along nicely?"

The two young toms kept their conflict. The brown she-cat got to her paws and trotted over to the warriors' den.

- in here?"

"Hey, Icepaw." Chocokit mewed in, slinking into the warriors' den. "Petalpelt, you two

The two cats were indeed inside, along with another cat. Thorntail was talking with them. "Oh, hi, Chocokit!" Icepaw mewed happily. "We're just eating. Care for some vole?"

While the two younger cats began eating again, Petalpelt and Thorntail resumed conversation.

"I was thinking about getting some chamomile. Spruceclaw's getting panicy about nothing. _Again._"

"I dunno." Petalpelt offered thoughtfully. "Gossip travels fast and I've heard snitches of conversation that there's a rogue cat that a warrior brought in today. About five minutes ago, in fact."

Thorntail sprang to her feet. "Strange cats?!" She echoed, surprised. With a whip of her tail the medicine cat had run out and was dashing across the clearing.

Petalpelt watched her go. "We'd best see what the ruckus is about." She decided. "Come along."

-

Brooke wasn't all that afraid of what ThunderClan would do to him. If they accepted him, kudos for Batteredstar. If they booted him to the curb, kudos for Batteredstar's karma. If they killed him (which wasn't likely) Batteredstar could just replace him, infiltrate ThunderClan another way, and that'd be all she wrote.

Brooke needed a life. The calico huffed and rolled his eyes as Dawnstar, Amberheary, and Flamefur talked. And talked. And_ talked._

"Great StarClan." He mumbled. "Do they _ever_ shut up?"

The three toms only snuffed their conversing as curious other cats began crowding around.

"Come with me." Dawnstar meowed to Brooke.

The calico followed the tabby tom and plopped himself on top of the Highrock with the ThunderClan leader.

Dawnstar kept his summons short.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather for a Clan meeting!"

-

"ThunderClan, as you've noticed, we have a visitor here, found in front of our tunnel entrance."

Brooke blinked uncaringly as many Clan members glared up at him.

"He stinks!" One cat yowled.

Brooke's left ear twitched.

"I know that." He anwsered calmly. His blue eyes swept over the whole Clan, settling on the smaller cats in general.

"Apprentices," He muttered quietly. "Exactly what he wants."

Dawnstar cleared his throat. "We need to know your name, and what you're doing here with no Clan scent."

Brooke washed his paw delicately.

"My name is Brooke." He replied.

Meows burst at that point.

"Just Brooke? That proves it! He's a kittypet!" "Twolegs give their kittypets just one word names! He can't be a Clan cat!"

Dawnstar silenced them.

"Where do you come from?"

"An abandoned farm."

This was a complete lie on Brooke's part, but it was what he was supposed to say and he said it. Dawnstar spoke again. "What is your purpose? Why were you hanging around our camp?"

Brooke stood up and ruffled his fur. "I've heard tales of wildcats that roam these forests. Most kittypets say they're savages who think about nothing but killing each other. My mother was a Clan cat, my father as well, and they say that's not true. I've come to see who's right."

"Oh please, spare us the details." A warrior tom yowled. "If your parents are Clan cats, how come you came from a barn?"

He looked around smugly. Meows of agreement rang.

"They're dead." Brooke spat, anger rising.

Dawnstar glanced curiosly over at him.

"Come," He offered. "We'll talk more in my den."

The dismissed Clan continued their activities. As Brooke and Dawnstar leaped down and head to the den, they passed an unusually white kit with the same blue eyes as Brooke.

Brooke stared at him for a moment.

_Fur like my mother's._ He thought. _And eyes like dad._


End file.
